Welcome back to the first Unity Brief of 2026, where we track the latest developments facing our nation.
Trump Administration bars Head Start providers from using ‘race’ and ‘women’ in federal grant applications
Providers and parents from Head Start, a program dedicated to preparing America’s most vulnerable children for school and life, said in court filings last month that the Department of Health and Human Services told a Head Start director to cut terms such as “race,” “belonging” and “pregnant people” from her federal grant application. The same director later received a list with about 200 words, which the department strongly discouraged her from using in her application.
President Trump’s administration associates the terms with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which he has vowed to eliminate across the federal government.
Local: Bennet, Pettersen, Colorado Delegation Call On President Trump to Fund Head Start Program (Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado)
National: Federal Judge Grants Second Preliminary Injunction Blocking Attacks on Head Start (ACLU)
What other college campuses have to say: Federal programs like Head Start reduce poverty and increase upward mobility, UCLA study shows (UCLA Newsroom)
Woman fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis
On Jan. 7, 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis.
The Department of Homeland Security alleges that Good was attempting to “run over [their] law enforcement officers.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem concurred, claiming that Good had tried to commit an act of “domestic terrorism.”
In the past few days, protests have erupted and protestors, as well as local officials and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, are condemning ICE and its aggressive presence in the community.
Local: Wife of Minnesota woman killed in ICE shooting: ‘We had whistles. They had guns.’ (Sentinel Colorado)
National: We Pressed Trump on His Conclusion About the ICE Shooting. Here’s What He Said. (New York Times)
What other college campuses have to say: Minnesotans honor Renee Good, the woman shot and killed by an ICE agent, at vigil (The Minnesota Daily)
Black maternal health advocate Dr. Janell Green Smith dies in childbirth
On Jan. 2, Dr. Janell Green Smith, a passionate midwife who shared her life, experiences and advice on maternal health, died while giving birth to her first child.
This has reignited conversations about America’s maternal mortality crisis.
“Black women are three times more likely to die in pregnancy and in childbirth than any other race. In hearing these alarming statistics, I wanted to do something about it,” Green Smith said in a 2024 Instagram post.
Family, friends and colleagues say she has achieved her goal, becoming widely known as a fierce advocate for Black women’s maternal health.
Local: Black Coloradans suffer higher maternal and infant mortality rates. Three groups are working to change that. (The Colorado Sun)
National: National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) on the Death of Dr. Janell Green Smith (NBNA)
What other college campuses have to say: Black Maternal Health Panel Touches on High Maternal Mortality Rates (The Hilltop)
Take Action:
At DU:
- Support International Student Groups
On your own:
- Call your representatives and demand action and accountability from the government
